Tag: beta

Call of Duty: WW2 Beta Adjustments

Call of Duty: WW2’s first beta wrapped up on August 27th and overall the game was received well by the community. There were some obvious adjustments that needed to be made such as balancing issues but the fans made sure the developers knew about them. Sledgehammer, a subsidiary of Activision, is heading the Call of Duty: WW2 project and they’re taking gamers comments to heart. Players can expect the second beta to feature some improvements that could deliver a more refined experience.

“New Maps and Modes”

Before diving into the most notable updates, Sledgehammer hinted at another bit of exciting news. In their blog post, before the update information, they mentioned hearing feedback on playlist variety and are working to improve it. The next sentence stated, “You know what else would improve it? More maps and modes.” New maps and additional game modes would make an already exciting beta even more entertaining.

Major Improvements and Updates

– Improvements are being made to hit feedback which includes better audio and a more prominent headshot indicator.

– They are reducing Molotov to x1 per Scorestreak.

– Default incendiary shells is turned off and they mentioned a future nerf is possible.

– Expect Paratrooper strength / cost balancing.

– They mention Recon Aircraft were found to be too vulnerable to rifle damage.

– Color Blind support option will be added.

The list above includes the most major gameplay updates but you can find the full list on the official blog post.

Be sure to check out the Live Stream of Call of Duty: WW2 beta below:

Beta Details

The second beta weekend begins on Friday, September 1st (10:00am PT / 1:00pm ET) and will continue through Monday, September 4th. It will be available on both PS4 and Xbox One and only to those who have preordered the game.

It was exciting to have the chance to see Call of Duty return to their roots and the beta delivered a fulfilling experience. Having the chance to play some Zombies would tie it all together however that isn’t necessarily out of the question when looking at Sledgehammer’s comments. Hopefully the developer continues to accept and embrace the feedback from the beta and makes adjustments along the way to deliver the best Call of Duty possible in November.

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT: New Final Fantasy Fighter

Square Enix offered some additional information about the closed beta for their upcoming Final Fantasy fighting game, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT. Last month the company announced they will be holding a closed beta but now gamers have an idea when they can play. Between August 25th and September 3rd, select players will have the chance to give this arcade fighter a try.

Registration is now live and gamers have until August 20th to sign up for their chance to try out Dissidia Final Fantasy NT. North and Latin American players can sign up here and other regions can visit this site to register. Unfortunately be prepared for bad news, as with any closed-beta acceptance is going to be limited.

This game looks like it’s going to be an epic adventure. Come take a look at some Dissidia Final Fantasy NT below.

It isn’t the first time Square Enix released a Final Fantasy fighter. For the 20th anniversary in 2008, they released a similar fighting game for PlayStation Portable, Dissidia Final Fantasy. The North American version released back in 2009. This latest title should be an exciting revisit, with new characters and the incredible power of the modern console. Dissidia Final Fantasy NT will be exclusive to the PlayStation 4 with an expected release in 2018.

Get Your Final Fantasy Fix Today

For those not lucky enough to be chosen for the closed-beta, they’ll have to survive on gameplay footage from the lucky few until its release or an open-beta. However, Gigamax Games does have some Final Fantasy video’s to get you through the year. Be sure to keep checking back for new episodes and the latest gameplay.

Don’t forget to Subscribe to keep up with the latest releases from Gigamax Games.

What To Expect from the Destiny 2 Early Access Beta

Destiny 2 will be here in September and fans can’t contain their joy. Others are a bit more skeptical. However, the world will soon see what Destiny 2 might have to offer thanks to the Early Access and Open Beta. Those that were brave enough to pre-order a copy of Destiny 2 on PlayStation 4 were able to try it out on Tuesday, July 18th.

Scroll down to see Destiny 2 Early Access Beta Gameplay!

Let’s dive right into what you need to know about the Destiny 2 Beta. Find out what you’ll be able to do, what bugs you can expect to see and what content will be available.

When Can You Play?

PlayStation 4 Early Access:

A pre-order opened up the Beta on July 18th, 10:00 AM PT, 1:00 PM ET and 6:00 PM BST on July 19th. PlayStation gamers will have the chance to play the Beta first, before Xbox One and PC.

Xbox One Early Access:

The pre-order purchase will grant Xbox One players access to the Beta on July 19th. It will open up at the same time as the PlayStation 4 Early Access.

Open Beta:

Many modern gamers have been hesitant about the pre-order. Over-hyped and clever marking ended up almost entirely destroying the trust gamers have for developers. If there’s any doubt about picking up Destiny 2 and a pre-order copy was out of the question, the Open Beta will be available on July 21, 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM BST.

PC Beta:

Access opens up in August but that’s all the information available as of now.

What Does The Destiny 2 Beta Include?

The Beta comes with the opening campaign mission, Homecoming. Players will also get a chance to see some cinematics from the full game. A little bit of a tease, fans will have to wait for the full release before they have a chance to really experience the Destiny 2 campaign.

Multiplayer will include the new Countdown mode. This attack/defend game mode will take place on the Endless Vale map. The Beta will also include the Control mode from Destiny 2. Fans of Destiny’s multiplayer will have a perfect way to compare and contrast the old game vs. the upcoming title’s multiplayer and really see if Destiny 2 is worth the time.

Find Gameplay from The Destiny 2 PS4 Early Access BetaGigs and Mack run through the first mission and then 2-man the final boss of the new strike!

The Inverted Spire Strike will offer players a first look at Destiny 2’s strike playlist. Taking place in a Vex stronghold, this will be a great way to try out one of the core components Destiny 2 has to offer. Matchmaking will be available so finding a game should come easy.

All of the new subclasses; Dawnblade Warlock, Arcstrider Hunter, or Sentinel Titan will be available. However, the new social space, The Farm, will only be open to gamers after 10:00 AM PT on July 23rd.

Some of the aspects left out of the Destiny 2 Beta include most of the vendors and services in the social area. Clan support and character progression will be left out. The beta will not offer information on how the characters progress in the full version of Destiny 2. And of course, (unfortunately) progress will not carry over to the full game.

The Issues To Keep In Mind

A beta wouldn’t be complete without a host of issues the developers know exist. Be prepared to deal with a plethora of networking error codes, getting kicked from orbit after seeing a black screen when entering a Countdown match, and some weapons or abilities may be overpowered or underpowered as balancing is still in progress.

Some lesser issues include location names not appearing while playing the Crucible, being placed at the start of the Inverted Spire Strike Activity when joining, some content may not be localized in all languages and Bungie might be testing server stability which could cause some strange error codes to appear.

Overview

As the Beta progresses it would be nice to see the server strength increase. However, we are still a couple months away from that September 6th release date so server issues were to be expected. It will be interesting to see how the full version of Destiny 2 holds up and if the Beta represents what the full game turns out to be. Be sure to stop by Gigamax Games as the world inches closer to the full release of Destiny 2 for more updates and gameplay!

Escape From Tarkov: Closed Beta Available Soon

If you can’t get enough of gritty, realistic and explosive first-person shooters, Escape from Tarkov might just make your day. Developed by the independent Battlestate Games studio, those interested will soon have a chance to join in on the closed beta. Beginning in July, Battlestate Games will be hosting a closed beta, only available to those that pre-ordered Escape from Tarkov at any point in time. So if this is the first time you’ve heard of it and the gameplay footage below caught your eye, there’s still time to jump at the opportunity.

According to the official Escape from Tarkov website, it’s currently being developed for PC and Mac. When asked about a release on consoles in 2016, Nikita Buyanov – COO and Lead Designer at Battlestate Games had some interesting words to say. “While we are interested in bringing the game to consoles, PC version is going to be uncompromisingly feature-rich, and console versions will be adapted ports, not the other way around.” http://bit.ly/2seZfdi

Play on your own through a story-driven scenario based walkthrough or have friends join in to complete raids on large compounds. The maps are expansive, offering a detailed look at the city of Tarkov. Lore will be located around the city, filling the player in, further explaining the world.

Unique Mechanics, Combat & Customization

Using their unique HECS system, standing for – Hazardous Environment Combat Simulor, Battlestate Games wants to deliver a hyper-realistic experience through and through. Weapons are unprecedentedly customizable and players need to keep in mind “real-life ballistics and projectile hit physics.”

They will need to manage their character in a way that’s nearly unheard of in a multiplayer fps. Gamers will be able to monitor their character’s health which consists of hydration, energy, blood pressure, blood loss, fractures, contusions, intoxication, exhaustion tremors and more. All need to be maintained and will have a direct impact on the character’s ability to eliminate their enemies.

More Than Just A Shooter

There is also a great deal of non-combat activities. There will be NPC merchants that will only sell you items once trust is built. A shared economy will react in real-time depending on other players actions and events. You can even become a trader and open up your own store.

It seems like this game has much more to offer than just being another shooter on your hard drive. Escape from Tarkov looks like a welcomed, unique, gritty shooter. If you’re interested in learning more about the game or even want to jump on the closed beta, you can find more on their official website.

*Disclaimer time: We Happy Few is early access, and so it’s not a complete game. Compulsion Games has said that it is “feature complete” but the story has been held back so that players can get a feel for the game in early access. *

We Happy Few, is one of those games that was destined to be disappointing right out of the gate. After a stellar showing at E3, and a whole lot of media hype, the early access quietly launched in July of this year. From the first showing at E3, you would not be remiss to think this is a game with a strong story, about a repressed 1960s England full of censorship and happy pills. You might, however, be disappointed with the story. Under that happy cherry opening segment lies a fairly robust survival game backed up with solid mechanics and an amply stimulating sandbox world, but the story will have to be really strong to stand up on its own. Permadeath can make things frustrating when you get a run of bad luck, but you can always turn it off. Based on the Beta, this isn’t a story driven game in any sense of the word. To be fair, the game may have story at some point, and the developers have put the bones of a story in, but as of now We Happy Few is just missing reasons for its objectives, something I’m sure can be added later on.

So what do you get with this game? A robust survival-based game, set in a fun world of 1960s England full of interesting things to explore and find and craft. If you haven’t seen the intro video from E3, here. That should give you a pretty feeling for what the game looks like. Visually, it accurately captures the atmosphere of the 60s. Bright colors and plastic things abound, and the early bright environments in the beginning of the game stand in stark contrast to the first game play area, which is mostly gritty and a muted earth tone.

I was surprised to find this was a survival game, as the E3 trailer made it look like more of a story driven sort of game narrative based action. The game has plenty of action, but as of now, there is no story beyond that introduction you see in that video. That doesn’t mean there isn’t more to understand about the world, just that in terms of narration and other story based elements, the developers are holding that back for now. What you get for story is a whole lot of flavor. if you stop to read the text in the intro section for example, you get an understanding of the happiness drug, as well as a frame narrative and some story background. In case you don’t want to read it, I’ll summarize: WWII is over, the allies lost, Britain is a colony of Germany. To combat sadness, a drug has been invented to keep people happy. This pill is the “joy” we heard about in the trailer, and seems to be a main plot point of the game. Those who refuse to take their joy are called “downers” and exiled to a rundown part of the city.

Story stuff aside what this game really is a great survival game. After playing the game’s intro section I was set off into the open world to explore. Basically, you wake up in an old tube tunnel and go from there. This brief second tutorial has us collecting a few raw materials, doing a bit of crafting, and finishing your first “mission”. Then it’s out of the tunnel and on your own. Exiting the tunnel takes you to the dreary surface world, where other burned out “downers” like you make their home.

Like most survival games, you will need to pay attention to various meters in this game. In this case we manage 3 resources for living and a stamina meter. Yes there is combat in this game, but let’s talk about those meters first. Just like most survival games, We Happy Few starts you out with very few raw materials, so you have to immediately start looking for clean water, food, and weapons.

My biggest problem was finding a place to sleep. Sleep is a real resource here, and needs to be managed. After a short time, if you don’t sleep you end up not able to run or fight in an efficient manner. I had no trouble finding food and water, but finding a safe place to sleep was a serious issue. Food was pretty common, but a lot of it was spoiled, and could cause sickness. When sick, the player would not get anything on their hunger meter, and vomit the food up. Sickness can be countered by precious pills that are sprinkled throughout the map. These rare resources tend to only come with combat, so sadly being a peaceful gatherer doesn’t seem to be an option.

Let’s talk about that combat: It’s all Melee based (from what I could see), and it’s a very basic system. Weapons are primitive, like you might find in a destroyed town. The most powerful weapon I was able to find was a cricket bat, which was a one hit kill on most enemies. Other weapons included sticks, rocks, and a few other random items found around. Later, crafting can get you traps and other things to use for combat.

I found the crafting to be quite fun, and very in-depth. I hope they will add more recipes and more cooking later on, but for now it has enough to keep it interesting. You can craft a lot of basic things right now using simple base materials and this is important to surviving in the world you’re dropped into. The game’s starter area is quite well populated, and most people are docile until provoked. I did find a few hostile folks early on, and in some cases found myself straight-up murdered. Did I mention this game features Permadeath? Yeah, it does. So when you die, you gotta start all over again.

Timewise, folks should have no issue with the value they get for their game. I was able to map about 40% of the first map in my longest play through. Two hours of play and that was just 40% of the first area. This is going to be a large game, with many NPC’s and quests to do, in addition to the simple survival objectives.

The game creates a dilemma between wanting to explore and find raw resources, and wanting to stay close enough to home to not die. There are other games that have nailed this in the past, but as far as I can tell,We Happy Few is doing it in a vastly different way. The combat feels fast and fresh, the crafting isn’t cumbersome, and the permadeath keeps things interesting. If Compulsion can get a story shoehorned into this game without hurting the broad open world feel, this one is going to be a big hit.

We Happy Few is available in the steam early access program right now, and in the eshop from Microsoft and Sony.